49ers trade S Taylor Mays to Bengals

The 49ers have given up on S Taylor Mays despite spending a second-round draft pick on him little more than a year ago.

Mays was dealt to the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday for an undisclosed future draft selection.

He was a highly touted player at USC, particularly given his great speed and size (6-3, 230 pounds). However he was criticized prior to the 2010 draft for a lack of instinctive play, particularly in pass defense, and a proclivity for seeking the big hit rather than creating turnovers.

Mays, who started six games a year ago and made 38 tackles while forcing one fumble, was stuck behind veteran Ss Donte Whitner, Dashon Goldson and Madieu Williams in San Francisco and likely would have been hard pressed to crack the lineup in 2011.

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About Nate Davis

Nate Davis is a reporter, blogger and editor who's been at USA TODAY since 2000. He has covered the NFL since 2005. No, he did not play quarterback for Ball State. Davis' succession of our esteemed colleague Sean Leahy at The Huddle is considered a Brady-for-Bledsoe swap by most "insiders."More about Nate